Gusto vs TriNet HR Plus

Deel

Rippling

RUN Powered by ADP

Deel is the only global-first people platform that enables companies to hire, pay, manage, and develop talent in 150+ countries without compliance headaches or third-party dependencies. Deel supports 40,000 customers and 1.5 million workers through a single, scalable global system.

Rippling is a cloud-based workforce management system that helps businesses manage operations across HR, finance, and IT.

RUN Powered by ADP® helps small businesses automate payroll, file taxes and manage HR with ease. From AI-driven efficiency to expert support, businesses can take care of their teams anytime and anywhere. 

Well I think maybe the system itself can handle it but I get the sense that Gusto support is so understaffed and overwhelmed that we're continually having to stop business as usual to wait for their sluggish and many times unhelpful responses.

Easy to navigate as well, the best payroll solution out there for small businesses since it simplifies everything .The customer support was immediate, smart people will chat with you right away, very responsive, very intelligent customer support.

President

They have EXCELLENT customer service who has been able to not only solve several problems but goes the extra mile in teaching about features and recommending how to set things up so they work more automatically.

With Gusto, you get modern HR features like effortless payroll, benefits, hiring, management resources—and more. Gusto is proud to serve more than 500,000 businesses in the US with a single trusted system, competitive compensation tools, and expert guidance to help you empower your team.

1099 Preparation

401(k) Tracking

ACA Reporting

Access Controls/Permissions

Accounting

Accounting Integration

Activity Dashboard

Alerts/Notifications

Applicant Tracking

Attendance Management

Attendance Tracking

Audit Trail

Benefits Administration Outsourcing

Benefits Dashboard

Benefits Management

Billable & Non-Billable Hours

Budget Management

Calendar Management

Career Development

Check Printing

COBRA Administration

Collaboration Tools

Compensation Management

Compensation Plan Modeling

Compliance Management

Customizable Reports

Dashboard

Data Import/Export

Deduction Management

Direct Deposit

Disability Insurance Administration

Document Management

Document Storage

Electronic Forms

Email Reminders

Employee Benefits Administration

Employee Database

Employee Handbook

Employee Management

Employee Onboarding

Employee Portal

Employee Profiles

Employee Self Service

Employee Time Tracking

Feedback Management

For Accountants

For Cloud

For Small Businesses

Goal Setting/Tracking

Health Insurance Administration

HIPAA Compliant

HR Management

HSA/FSA Administration

Learning & Development

Leave Tracking

Life Insurance Administration

Market Data Analysis

Mobile Access

Mobile App

Multi-Country

Multi-State

Offboarding

Onboarding

Online Benefits Enrollment

Online Time Tracking

Orientation Workflow Management

Payroll Management

Payroll Reporting

Performance Management

Performance Review Management

QuickBooks Integration

Recruitment Management

Reimbursement Management

Reminders

Reporting/Analytics

Reporting & Statistics

Retirement Plan Management

Role-Based Permissions

Self Service Portal

Sick Leave Tracking

Talent Management

Task Management

Tax Calculation

Tax Compliance

Tax Filing

Tax Forms

Tax Management

Third-Party Integrations

Time & Attendance

Time Off Management

Time Off Requests

Timesheet Management

Time Tracking

Training Management

Vacation/Leave Tracking

W-2 Preparation

Wage Garnishment

Web-based Deployment

Workflow Management

Reviews for Gusto come from a wide variety of industries, including computer software (9% of reviewers), marketing and advertising (7%), and accounting (6%). The most frequent use case for Gusto cited by reviewers is payroll (57% of reviewers).

Users and use cases

Reviewers indicate Gusto’s pricing is transparent and affordable, and they appreciate the flexible tiered plans. Some users report costs rise with added features or scaling, and they wish lower-tier plans included more functionalities.

Value for money

The Gusto integration most frequently cited by reviewers is QuickBooks Online, an accounting product rated 4.6 out of 5 for its integration with Gusto.

Integrations

Gusto is a payroll tool offering key features such as direct deposit, payroll management, payroll reporting, tax compliance, W-2 preparation, and a self-service portal, among others.

Gusto

Web-based

Paychex Flex

QuickBooks Payroll

ADP Workforce Now

Patriot Software

QuickBooks Online

TriNet HR Plus

Justworks

Square Payroll

Paycor

Paycom

SurePayroll

ADP Comprehensive Services

Xero

Wave

TriNet

OnPay

QuickBooks Time

Solo

Simple

Plus

Premium

Contractor

Challenging transition experience

Software Engineer

We ended up switching to Paylocity for global support, and I miss Gusto every day.

36% of reviewers feel negative about Switching and Transition. Users say moving to or from Gusto can be complicated and time-consuming, with difficulties in migrating data and setting up the platform. Reviewers mention challenges when scaling or making changes to company information, and some report frustration with support during the transition process. They feel that switching platforms often leads to confusion, missed information, or administrative headaches, especially for businesses with complex requirements or international operations.

Limited mobile functionality

Email. Marketer

It is not available for mobile devices only handled through desktop as it doesn't have an app.

42% of reviewers feel negative about Mobile Access. Users report frustration with the lack of a dedicated mobile app or limited functionality on mobile devices. Reviewers say accessing features like time entry, paystubs, or PTO calendars is cumbersome or unavailable on smartphones. Some users find the mobile web experience slow or glitchy, and note difficulties with authentication and customer support via phone. They mention that the absence of a robust mobile solution makes it challenging to manage HR tasks on the go.

Restrictive reporting capabilities

The ability to generate necessary reports for 3rd party benefit companies is nearly nonexistent.   If you want to use companies not affiliated with them (Ie companies giving them a kickback) you are up a creek.

42% of reviewers feel negative about Reporting. Reviewers indicate Gusto’s reporting features lack customization and flexibility, making it difficult to generate tailored reports for specific business needs. Users say downloading, formatting, and finding the right reports can be tedious and unintuitive. Some mention issues with data accuracy, limited export options, and cumbersome workflows when integrating with third-party platforms. They feel the reporting tools are less robust compared to other HR or accounting software, which can hinder comprehensive data analysis.

Streamlined onboarding processes

Senior Business Analyst 

Having the ability to deploy custom onboarding checklists was extremely useful and meant we could keep everything within Gusto without the need to create separate documents in other software.

95% of reviewers feel positive about Employee Onboarding. Users think Gusto makes onboarding new hires straightforward and efficient, allowing employees to input their own information and complete checklists digitally. Reviewers appreciate that the platform centralizes documents, automates compliance tasks, and enables self-onboarding, which saves HR teams significant time. They say the onboarding workflow is intuitive, supports custom checklists, and reduces paperwork. Some users highlight the benefit of seamless integration with payroll and benefits, making the entire process less stressful and more organized for both administrators and new employees.

Effortless platform navigation

Managing Partner

Navigation is easy and it is simple to switch between Admin and Employee platforms for review.

92% of reviewers feel positive about Navigation. Reviewers indicate Gusto’s navigation is intuitive, with well-structured menus and a clean dashboard that make it easy to access all necessary features. Users appreciate being able to find reports, documents, and HR tools quickly without a steep learning curve. They say the platform’s layout supports both new and experienced users, and switching between different roles or tasks is straightforward. Many highlight the ease of moving through tabs and menus as a key benefit.

Visually appealing interface

Account Executive

The UI is very clean and keeps the information and material you're looking for in a well structured display.

93% of reviewers feel positive about the User Interface. Users say Gusto’s interface is clean, modern, and visually organized, making it easy to locate important information quickly. Reviewers appreciate the thoughtful design, clear labels, and dashboard features that highlight key dates and notifications. They find the interface user-friendly for both administrators and employees, with streamlined workflows and minimal clutter. Some users mention that the aesthetic elements, such as fun facts and reminders, make the experience more enjoyable and less stressful.

Intuitive and simple operation

Marketing Media

Today Gusto takes care of all this without me having to worry, the platform is very intuitive and very simple to use, for me it was the best investment I made in my company without a doubt.

95% of reviewers feel positive about Ease of Use. Reviewers indicate Gusto is easy to set up and operate, even for those without prior experience in payroll or HR software. They find the platform’s layout and automation features reduce manual work and make routine tasks, like payroll processing and benefits management, much faster. Users say the software guides them step-by-step, offers helpful tutorials, and provides clear instructions. Many appreciate that the interface is straightforward, allowing them to focus on their core business rather than administrative tasks.

Operation Management

Gusto excels at automated payroll, tax filing, employee self-service, benefits administration, and smooth onboarding, ideal for small businesses.

Federal WildFire Contracts

I am moving my business to Paychex, a company that understands authorization, accountability, and basic respect for its customers’ money. If you value control over your finances and don’t want to fight the same battle year after year, look elsewhere.

Software Implementation

The platform also has occasional limitations in customization for more complex pay structures, and certain reports could offer more flexibility in filtering and exporting data.

Community Engagement and Operations Manager

From onboarding contractors and staff to seamless time-tracking, it has turned what used to be a massive administrative burden into a simple, automated process.

Chief of Staff

The straightforwardness of the platform allows for basic functionality for payroll without the bells and whistles that oftentimes gets confusing on previous platforms that were used in the 90's and 00's

Director of Operations

Our team completes their annual sexual harassment training through the platform, which is quick and engaging thanks to the interactive videos!

The employee self-service portal is well-organized, letting team members update information and access pay stubs without constant admin involvement.

People Operations Specialist

Our company didn't feel like the Gusto platform could grow to host all of our HR needs, as well as desirables like Learning Management.

CTO and Co-Founder

The dashboard is clean and it clearly points out where the pay related items are so I do not have to dig around to find them.

Graphic Designer

The third party accountant was based in India and would call me at odd or inopportune times to verify my hours before submitting payroll.

Highly rated by small teams for its simplicity and automation, though it feels limited as businesses grow or require complex HR workflows.

Assistant Book keeper

The app allows you to personalize all of your details and your able to share with others.

Office Manager

It's user friendly, automates time consuming processes, and helps ensure employees are paid accurately and on time.

Some of the reports are difficult to generate and I have trouble pulling reports for individual people for different metrics sometimes.

HR Director

Every time I request support, someone is available online or over the phone to talk to, which is a feature that most other similar providers lack.

Account Manager

Missing robust features that are available in some other payroll management platforms that also have many other HR features.

Business Manager

The employee app is very convenient—our team finds it simple to access pay stubs, tax documents, and personal information right from their phones.

Warehouse assistant manager

Gusto is a one stop shop for our employees who are enrolled in health benefits, its easy to navigate to your benefit details in the app for each employee and on the back end as the company, its a nice dashboard and easy to see what is being paid.

Gusto vs TriNet HR Plus Comparison (2026)

Gusto

TriNet HR Plus

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives